I received my wavemaster today!!

[CraigRT]

I broke down an ordered a black wavemaster with side window panel.

I dislike the USB ports on the roof,
I dislike the inside of the case and the stupid PSU cage,
I dislike how when you close the front door, it hits any fan controllers or anything you have (unless it's made by CM themselves)
I dislike how it uses 80mm fans instead of 120...

But I freaking love the way that damn case looks.

I have had a nice compucase for a few weeks now which I love, but I just can't stand looking @ a case that looks almost the same as my SX600 which I had for like 3 years.

It was time for a change.

from anyone?

EDIT:

untouched

finished product

finished produt again

Because of the way this case is setup, I can't use my X-connect power supply, so I had to go back to my old Vantec ION 400B, which works just fine, and is nice and quiet. So for anyone interested my Ultra is going up for sale on the FS/FT forum. It's a great PSU, just not compatible with this case.

 

[Tiamat]

Time to bust out your machining skills, bring it to a shop, and totally modify the insides in fit your liking.

 

[CraigRT]

Originally posted by: Tiamat
Time to bust out your machining skills, bring it to a shop, and totally modify the insides in fit your liking.

first thing i'd do is rip out that damned PSU cage!

but really, I just don't like how plain it is inside.. it needs drive rails and a nicer hard drive mounting system, but oh well.. the case looks so damn good, they suckered in yet another buyer, so I guess what does CM care

 

[Aries64]

I dislike the USB ports on the roof,

Cool idea, but I don't use mine since I replaced the I/O Panel and trap-door with a (80mm) fan.

I dislike the inside of the case and the stupid PSU cage,

At least you can use the case as a mounting point for cable-routing mounts...

I dislike how when you close the front door, it hits any fan controllers or anything you have (unless it's made by CM themselves)

Not all - the VL System LIS2 Premium, LIS2 Blue Eye, and the Innovatek
Fan-O-Matic PRO will definately fit behind the door. The VL System units have a COMPLETELY FLAT face while the Innovatek is almost so.

I just got the VL System LIS Premium which I think is a better unit at much lower cost ($104.99), but there are NO BUTTONS for manual fan control like on the Innovatek unit. I don't care for the buttons. Not inexpensive, but WAAAAY cool and uses MBM5 to monitor stuff like CPU, Case, and NB temps, CPU speed and Utilization, ect.

The LIS2 Premium ($104.99) uses a VFD (Vacuum Fluoresent Display). The LIS2 Blue Eye ($69.99) uses a reverse LCD unit. Xoxide carrries both in Silver and Black. Here is a link to the VL System page at Xoxide:

http://www.xoxide.com/vlsystems.html

Heres a link to the Innovatek ($274.99) at FrozenCPU:

http://www.frozencpu.com/lcd-17.html

I dislike how it uses 80mm fans instead of 120...

Yeah, CoolerMaster could have used 120mms'.

But I freaking love the way that damn case looks.

It is a beautiful case design...

 

[Ken90630]

I completely agree with virtually everything you guys have said in this thread so far. Stunning on the outside, should have been designed better on the inside, but some things about the inside can be modded a bit to improve things. Drive rails, rubber donuts for the hard drive, and 120mm fans would have been easy to incorporate into design & production and would have made this a nearly perfect case. We oughtta all start sending e-mails to Cooler Master with these suggestions. Even if it added $10 or $20 to the price, I'd pay it.

Even with its faults, however, I'm dying to get one of these cases (a black one).

PS: Craig -- I also read somewhere that the motherboard standoffs were really flimsy/cheapy. What's your take on that?

Ken

 

[CraigRT]

Originally posted by: Ken90630
I completely agree with virtually everything you guys have said in this thread so far. Stunning on the outside, should have been designed better on the inside, but some things about the inside can be modded a bit to improve things. Drive rails, rubber donuts for the hard drive, and 120mm fans would have been easy to incorporate into design & production and would have made this a nearly perfect case. We oughtta all start sending e-mails to Cooler Master with these suggestions. Even if it added $10 or $20 to the price, I'd pay it.

Even with its faults, however, I'm dying to get one of these cases (a black one).

PS: Craig -- I also read somewhere that the motherboard standoffs were really flimsy/cheapy. What's your take on that?

Ken

Hey Ken, the motherboard standoffs look to be Aluminum like the case, but I've had no problems mounting the mobo with any of the standoffs. the bag of goodies comes with quite a few, so if you have any problems, there are plenty of extras at least.

It's a sweet case, even though the flaws it has annoy me, it's so nice to look at, and i am pleasantly surprised at the noise and cooling ability without even having to mod the case! :thumbsup:

 

[Ken90630]

[/quote]Hey Ken, the motherboard standoffs look to be Aluminum like the case, but I've had no problems mounting the mobo with any of the standoffs. the bag of goodies comes with quite a few, so if you have any problems, there are plenty of extras at least.

It's a sweet case, even though the flaws it has annoy me, it's so nice to look at, and i am pleasantly surprised at the noise and cooling ability without even having to mod the case! :thumbsup:[/quote]

Cool. I can't remember where I read that complaint about the standoffs, or who said it, but it was in the back of my mind. You've been working with it up close & personal recently though, so I'll take your word over the other person's.

So are you gonna use the stock fans or replace them with some others? Is the case reasonably quiet even with the stock fans?

I have got to get one of these cases soon. SVC has the black one for $144 right now -- the :evil: on my shoulder is saying, "Yes, yes, go for it!" while the angel on the other shoulder is countering with, "You know you can't afford it right now. Put that credit card away, young man."

Gotta listen to the angel a little longer. Aaaaaargh. :laugh:

 

[BW86]

Awesome case, I'm jealous

 

[CraigRT]

Originally posted by: Ken90630

Hey Ken, the motherboard standoffs look to be Aluminum like the case, but I've had no problems mounting the mobo with any of the standoffs. the bag of goodies comes with quite a few, so if you have any problems, there are plenty of extras at least.

It's a sweet case, even though the flaws it has annoy me, it's so nice to look at, and i am pleasantly surprised at the noise and cooling ability without even having to mod the case! :thumbsup:[/quote]

Cool. I can't remember where I read that complaint about the standoffs, or who said it, but it was in the back of my mind. You've been working with it up close & personal recently though, so I'll take your word over the other person's.

So are you gonna use the stock fans or replace them with some others? Is the case reasonably quiet even with the stock fans?

I have got to get one of these cases soon. SVC has the black one for $144 right now -- the :evil: on my shoulder is saying, "Yes, yes, go for it!" while the angel on the other shoulder is countering with, "You know you can't afford it right now. Put that credit card away, young man."

Gotta listen to the angel a little longer. Aaaaaargh. :laugh:[/quote]

Hey man, you only live once.. I was telling myself the same thing, but i went ahead and got it.. oh well

And yeah, the cooling ability is decent with the stock fans, and they are very acceptable for noise level. I am going to be leaving the stock fans in there for sure! :thumbsup:

On a side note, I got a chance to look at the blue Wavemaster in person, it's gorgeous!!!!!! the only problem is you can't buy a side window panel for it, you'd have to make your own. There aren't too many pics online of the blue one, but you should take a look @ that one before you buy the black. I went with the black because eventually my monitor and all will be black, but the blue one is freakishly nice looking. Just thought I'd share that.

hope you get it soon!

 

[Ken90630]

Thanks for the tip. I've seen the blue one and also the yellow one, but I actually like the black one the best. But it's 51/49 over the silver one, which is also stunning (I've seen both in person). I tell 'ya, if I had the money I'd buy both a silver and a black one. They're so solid they'll prolly last a lifetime.

I'm one of those guys that likes to have the optical drives' colors match the case colors, so blue or yellow would make that pretty near impossible (without painting the drive face plates). I have a black monitor and a black keyboard too, so the black case would also make for nice continuity (for whatever that's worth). Whatever ....

I really like the way that side window looks on your case too. I knew they were available, but I hadn't seen any pics of the case with the window installed. That looks awesome. Not flimsy or tacky like some windows. Great workmanship.

hope you get it soon!

Me too.

 

[CraigRT]

That's the one reason I got the black, because it can be matched with drives

here is a pic of how it looks tonight.....

http://members.rogers.com/play...3/images/pcpics/uv.jpg

 

[rforum]

Very nice looking case. Can't help but point out that a few of your dislikes were certainly known to you before buying the case but you bought it anyway - seems somehow unchivalrous to complain after the fact.

 

[CraigRT]

Originally posted by: rforum
Very nice looking case. Can't help but point out that a few of your dislikes were certainly known to you before buying the case but you bought it anyway - seems somehow unchivalrous to complain after the fact.

oh there's definitely things i hate about it... but i spend more time sitting here at the desk than i do working inside the case, (well not the last 3 days, but from now on it stands true!) so thats what it boils down to.

half of the entire dislikes of the case for me is lack of front USB ports, I use them all the time, and now I have to clear the top of the case and open the dumb door... blah.

But again, I love the case so much otherwise, It just doesn't matter. :heart:

 

[rforum]

I agree with you. I almost bought this case as well because I really, really like the look. But I decided not to precisely because I disliked the placement of the USB and Firewire ports which I also use often. I ended up getting an Antec P160 with USB and Firewire ports in a very accessible position. It seems like when shopping for cases, often the ones I like the best have some 'fatal flaw' that prevents me from buying them.

 

[CraigRT]

Originally posted by: rforum
I agree with you. I almost bought this case as well because I really, really like the look. But I decided not to precisely because I disliked the placement of the USB and Firewire ports which I also use often. I ended up getting an Antec P160 with USB and Firewire ports in a very accessible position. It seems like when shopping for cases, often the ones I like the best have some 'fatal flaw' that prevents me from buying them.

I had the exact same problem.
My fatal flaw with the P160 was the fact I thought it was horrible looking, and I cannot STAND drive covers, so sadly, that case got written off well before this one. The rest of the P-160 I like though, nice interior of the case.

 

[rforum]

Yes, I know alot of people agree with you on the P160. The look doesn't really bother me and it will serve me well until that "perfect case" comes along.

 

[CraigRT]

Originally posted by: rforum
Yes, I know alot of people agree with you on the P160. The look doesn't really bother me and it will serve me well until that "perfect case" comes along.

Probably would have done the same for me also... it's a nice case indeed, and WAS one of the ones I was considering.

 

[Ken90630]

half of the entire dislikes of the case for me is lack of front USB ports, I use them all the time, and now I have to clear the top of the case and open the dumb door... blah.

Just design yourself a customized port setup from here and put it in one of the 5.25" drive bays. Then disconnect those top mounted ports and replace them with an extra 80mm exit fan (for the proverbial blowhole effect). Prob solved!

This is exactly what I intend to do when I get a WaveMaster.

Incidentally, Enermax also has a 5.25"-bay mounted port thingy (with fan controllers included, which you can obviously use or not use as you wish), and I think Silverstone makes some too. You're not stuck with the top mounted ports on the WM!

 

[CraigRT]

Originally posted by: Ken90630

half of the entire dislikes of the case for me is lack of front USB ports, I use them all the time, and now I have to clear the top of the case and open the dumb door... blah.

Just design yourself a customized port setup from here and put it in one of the 5.25" drive bays. Then disconnect those top mounted ports and replace them with an extra 80mm exit fan (for the proverbial blowhole effect). Prob solved!

This is exactly what I intend to do when I get a WaveMaster.

Incidentally, Enermax also has a 5.25"-bay mounted port thingy (with fan controllers included, which you can obviously use or not use as you wish), and I think Silverstone makes some too. You're not stuck with the top mounted ports on the WM!

I considered doing that, but then the front door of the case has to be open.

I like the Praetorian case with the USB ports setup like that, I just wanted the the WM because it looks better than the Praetorian IMO. Again, I'll bite it and just do whatever I have to do to work around this because the case is fine otherwise.

 

[Ken90630]

I considered doing that, but then the front door of the case has to be open.

Yeah, that's true. This is one of those totally subjective, personal choices. I tend to set papers & stuff on top of the computer, so that'll make it annoying to have to clear the top off every time I want to use one of the ports. That's why I'll prolly go with front mounted ports, even if they're behind the door. But there's no right or wrong way here -- to each his own, and whatever works best for you is obviously what matters.

 

[CraigRT]

Originally posted by: Ken90630

I considered doing that, but then the front door of the case has to be open.

Yeah, that's true. This is one of those totally subjective, personal choices. I tend to set papers & stuff on top of the computer, so that'll make it annoying to have to clear the top off every time I want to use one of the ports. That's why I'll prolly go with front mounted ports, even if they're behind the door. But there's no right or wrong way here -- to each his own, and whatever works best for you is obviously what matters.

I think a USB2.0 hub is the order of the day in this case
I'll just put it right beside the PC on the desk. problem solved!

 

[Ken90630]

[/quote]I think a USB2.0 hub is the order of the day in this case
I'll just put it right beside the PC on the desk. problem solved![/quote]
Brilliant. So ingenious, yet so simple. Heh heh. Why didn't I think of that?

Don't answer that.

 

[CraigRT]

I already had an old 1.1 standard hub from a couple years ago. so naturally I had the idea for a 2.0 hub, it's so easy

 

[Ken90630]

Okay, I feel better.

Funny thing is, I was thinking about getting one of those for myself a few months ago. I was looking for one that had both USB 2.0 and a FireWire port, but I could only find the USB 2.0 hubs so I postponed buying one pending a little more shopping. Then I got busy with other things and forgot about it ....

If you ever see one that has one FireWire port along with the USB 2.0ers, lemme know.

 

[CraigRT]

Alright I'll try to remmy to do that